We Build Ourselves A Pyramid
by Ralinde
Summary: This collection will have 15 chapters. They will all be written for the 'Character Pyramid Challenge' where I'll get different characters and prompts each time round. As we move up the pyramid, the entries will become longer/complexer.
1. Unlikely

_A/N: Prompts: 'Hesper Gamp' and 'unlikely'_

* * *

When Hesper met Sirius at one of the balls hosted by her family, she did not think that she would fall for this - slightly arrogant - young Black. In fact, if it hadn't been for the betrothal that was in place she was seven years old, she thought it highly unlikely that she would ever - willingly - interact with him.

But he was here, and so was she, and she just had to make the best of it. So she kept the house clean, cooked him dinner and warmed his bed whenever he requested - like a good Pureblood wife does. However, she found that she didn't _mind_ doing this things, because was a good man, who never beat her and treated her with some respect, something that couldn't be said for many of the other Pureblood males in society.

"Sirius?" she said one cold January night when they were sitting side by side in front of the fire.

"Yes?"

"I'm pregnant."

There was a shocked silence. Then: "Already?"

She nodded.

"That is very good news, very good news indeed." There was shimmering of delight in his eyes. It wasn't much, and it wasn't what she'd hoped for, but it _was_ progress compared to how things had been between them before that.

"Are you... happy?" she asked, just to be sure.

"I suppose so," he replied - and that could possibly be the sweetest thing she'd gotten from him since the day she walked down that aisle.


	2. Cupcakes

_A/N: Second character/prompt: Mafalda Hopkirk / "Do I detect a hint of sarcasm?". This is also written for the Musical Chairs Competition, with the prompt "someone is phobic of cupcakes"._

* * *

"Take them away!"

"Are you sure you don't want one? They're delicious."

"No, I hate cupcakes. They are gooey and moist and dangerous. And these look particularly dangerous."

Mafalda looked at Dolores Umbridge in confusion. For a moment, she thought she had misunderstood. "They're just cupcakes..."

"Take. Them. Away," Dolores repeated in a shrill voice, backing away as far as possible, a look of utter terror on her face. _If she backs any further away, she won't be standing in this office anymore_, Mafalfda thought. She had never seen her boss like this before.

"Surely you're not going to tell me that Dolores Umbridge, Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and Head of the Muggleborn Registration Commission is afraid of a few cupcakes?" she asked bemused, but moved the tray with the cupcakes nonetheless.

"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm?" Dolores asked suspiciously, looking a bit more secure now that the tray was further away, but she still didn't take her eyes of it.

"No ofcourse not. I wouldn't dare," Mafalda hasted herself to say. The last thing she needed right now, was getting fired a week after she'd bought a house.

She exited Dolores' office, taking the tray with her. "I'm sorry, I meant no harm."

"I don't know what her problem is," she muttered, but she made sure she was well out of hearing range when she said it._ You never knew what Dolores was going to do, after all_.

"I only wanted to do something nice," she complained to her co-worker later that same day. "You know I love baking, but do you think I could have done the frosting better? That's generally not my forte, but I actually thought I managed alright this time. Do you think I should have made it more lifelike?"

"Nah, these are pretty lifelike already," her coworker said after critical examination. "I think you've done the frosting very well. Take this one for example." She held out one of the cupcakes. "It's easily recognisable as a centaur."


	3. Breakdown

"Terry, are you coming?"

"Go away."

"We could really do with your help you know."

Terry didn't reply.

"Come on, don't be like this," Padma tried again. "You're the pillar of our group, you can't back out now." She was pleading.

"Well, did it ever occur to you that a pillar can only carry so much before it crumbles?" Terry said bitterly.

To Padma's surprise, there were tears in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked immediately.

"I can't take it anymore, Padma. I- I haven't heard from my parents in weeks. They could be dead for all I know. I have no way of finding out, and the insecurity is eating at me. I know you all need me to be strong, but I can't. I just can't."

Padma sat down next to him and put her arm around him.

"I'm sorry," she said. "These are difficult times, for everyone. We all worry about our families, and I'm sorry that we failed to see that even though you try to keep everyone's spirits up, the situation isn't any different for you than it is for us. I'm afraid I haven't been a very good friend to you."

"Don't blame yourself," he replied. "As you said, these are hard times for everyone."

"Yes, but we're friends. We're supposed to look after each other, it shouldn't be a one-way thing. And I know I can't make up for not noticing earlier, but I'm here for you now."

"Thanks Padma. That means a lot."


	4. Currants and Raisins

"Dominique, would you be a dear and get some raisins out of the cupboard?"

Gran wiped a strand of hair out of her face with the back of her hand. Her fingers were covered in dough.

Dominique jumped from the counter and skipped towards the cupboard. She liked helping Gran when she was baking. There was always a spoon or bowl to clean, and experience had taught her that licking off the remnants was a very satisfying way of doing so.

_Now let's see, raisins..._

Dominique stood on tiptoes. _Ah there they were_. She took them from the cupboard and walked back. She used the stool to climb back up the counter. She liked sitting on the counter, because it was easier to talk to Gran that way.

Gran took the bag and frowned. "These aren't raisins, they're currants."

Dominique looked confused and Gran smiled. "Wait, I'll show you. Will you open the tap for me?"

Dominique leaned over to open the tap and as Gran washed her hands, she chattered away about their cat, who had only last week given birth to three kittens. "They are so tiny, Grandma, they fit into my hand! But maman says I can't pick them up yet, because then Tilly won't recognise them anymore. Isn't that weird? I remember when Louis was born, everyone wanted to hold him, but maman still recognised him."

Grand laughed. "Well, things are a bit different with cats," she said. She walked over to the cupboard and took out another bag.

"Look, this is a currant," she said, and placed one of the things from the bag Dominique had taken from the cupboard on the counter. "And this, this is a raisin," she continued and placed one of the things from the other bag next to it. "See? At first sight, they look alike. But they are slightly different."

Dominique squinted. "They are darker," she said and pointed at the currants.

"Very good! And you know why? They are made from red grapes, and they," she pointed at the raisins, "are from white grapes. Strange, isn't it?"

Dominique laughed. "That's weird."

"Would you like to taste them?"

Gran handed Dominique the currant first and Dominique ate it.

"It's yummy!" she said.

"Now try this one."

Dominique tasted the raisin. "This one is yummy too!"

Gran laughed. "You're right dear. And they're both used in baking, but for different goals. But that might be a bit complicated yet." Her eyes sparkled and she said: "I'll just finish the cake, shall I? And I think I have a spoon that needs cleaning somewhere around here..."


End file.
